Title: The End of a Dream

Pairing(s): Zutara

Rating: T

Author's Notes: Took me about 2 weeks writing this. Let me know if there's grammar mistakes or anything

Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own Avatar: the Last Airbender

"Mom, what's a soulmate?"

Katara froze as she sat on her daughter's bed. She felt a jolt of pain going through her chest. A familiar feeling that she had felt whenever she thought of him and when she saw him.

When Katara was still a child, she had always played with the idea of soulmate. How fascinating it was to have one! It was every girl's dream to be with the one. As she grow older she realized the world was too cruel for such things until she met Aang. Never in her life that she felt this way towards a boy. The feeling of flying, floating.

She was in love with the idea of love.

And of course, it all changed when the Fire Nation came for the Avatar – for Aang. Prince Zuko had came to the Southern Water Tribe and demand for the Avatar as if he own the world – he might as well due to the fact that his father, the Fire Lord, controlled most of the nations. The scar on his face was frightening, a sore to the eye. At that time, in honesty, she wouldn't blame the person who did that to him with that all high and mighty attitude of his. But her views towards him changed when she knew him, really knew him.

Katara's thoughts snapped back to the future and relaxed her posture, schooling her expression seeing that her daughter was about to open her mouth. "Now where did you hear that?" she asked, keeping her tone neutral.

Kya twiddled with her thumbs nervously. A habit which she had seen one too many times. "I read it in a scroll."

Katara smiled softly. "What did the scroll said?"

The smaller girl furrowed her brows in concentration, trying to remember. "It said that every one has one and that we would know immediately after we see that person. That person would really know you like no one does but–" she drifted off, looking at her mother with wide cerulean eyes. "But what if that person's soulmate dies? They would be so lonely."

Katara chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Kya, everyone has someone. A person is never alone," she assured. Her daughter relaxed at the thought. "I guess what the writer is trying to tell you is that a soulmate is like a best friend but more."

"Tea?"

Katara jumped slightly, surprised that someone had managed to sneak up on her. It wasn't everyday that anyone managed to do that. She turned to face the firebender, who held out a cup of tea towards her. "Thanks," she mumbled and took the cup. It was warm.

Zuko sat beside her, silently, sipping – what she assumed – tea and gazed towards the sky. She could have sworn that his golden brown eyes glowed.

It was one of the few spots that she would just sit or lay on the ground and stare at the moon and stars, enjoying the cold night. It was one of the best thing at the Air Temple. She felt closer to the sky. Even with the war wedging on around them, it was a peaceful night.

The waterbender drank the tea and nearly spat it out in disgust. The taste was terrible! So bitter. She coughed causing Zuko to shift his gaze to her, concerned marring his aristocratic features. "What's this?" She managed to ask.

Zuko looked away from her. "Tea."

"Doesn't taste like tea," she mumbled, taking another sip. It could actually ruined her taste buds. "Did you make this?"

Silence. He didn't move a muscle. Katara was confused at first then the gears in her head clicked. A grin stretch across her face. "Spirits, you made this, didn't you?" Katara burst out a laugh, leaning to look at his face.

"Making tea is not an easy task," Zuko grumbled, facing her. She took the satisfaction that his cheeks turned red, slightly.

Katara laughed harder, colour on his cheeks turned brighter.

"If you're going to continue laughing, I'm leaving." He moved to stand but his movements halted when Katara placed a hand on his forearm.

Her cheeks were flushed, eyes sparkling with amusement as she tried to hold back her laugh. "Alright, alright," she sobered. "But didn't you work at a tea shop with your uncle in Ba Seng Se? Shouldn't you be good at making tea?"

"Shut up."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she apologized, continuing to finish the lukewarm so-called tea. It probably ruined her taste buds but it was worth it. He made it for her anyway. Might as well finish it, better than letting it go to waste. Katara reached over and placed a feather like kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, Zuko." She smiled, returning her gaze to the moon.

It was probably her imagination but she could have sworn Zuko returned her smile, albeit a small one, and mumbled, "You're welcome."

"It's the one person in the world that knows you better than anyone else."

One of the things she likes about Zuko was that he never hold back.

In sparring, of course. Not that she was implying about anything else.

Every time he sends a fireball in her direction, he aimed to maim, never afraid to hurt her and she does the same to him – with a killing intent sometimes. Growing stronger in both offense and defense. If Zuko held back his attacks, she doubt that she will ever learn anything.

Zuko knew she preferred losing than winning if it meant that she would gain experience. What's the use of winning if she didn't learn anything? Wouldn't it be pointless?

Each time a spar ended, Zuko would point out her faults and ways to improve while she tended their wounds. At first it disturbed her that he knew her better than anyone else but now, she wouldn't mind it.

"It's someone who makes you a better person."

"I'm sorry for using you," Katara mumbled against his clothed chest.

His warm hand stopped caressing her sides, after a beat his fingers resumed. "Am not complaining," he replied. "I'm using you too."

Katara lifted her head to look at him. Her face twisted in anger but her eyes betrayed their playfulness. "Oh? Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

His lips twitched into a smile slightly. "In a way. You wouldn't seek for me in the middle of the night like this. I know you." He golden brown eyes burned with intensity. "Besides I still am a banished prince with his honour stripped from him. I'm probably worse than my father. And you, Katara, are too pure for me." His gaze soften. "Maybe it's my destiny to meet you."

She giggled, leaning against him once again. "You're such a sap, Zuko."

"I blame Uncle."

Katara hummed, listening to his heartbeat. There was a pregnant silence before she resumed their previous conversation. "You're not like your father, Zuko. You're a better man than him and you do have your honour with you from the start. No one could ever take that from you."

A sigh. "And here I thought that I'm supposed to make you better."

A laugh escaped from her lips. "You need to work more with that," she commented, straddling him, eyes shining with mischief. "You did say that you're bad at being good. I could teach you if you want."

"Well then, Sifu Katara. Teach me."

Katara's head tilted to the side slightly. "Actually, they don't make you a better person. You do that yourself because they inspire you."

Zuko inhaled sharply, his attention on his chained, broken sister. "She's alive," he whispered, relieved. "Thank you, Katara."

"She's still your sister," she replied quietly. "After all the things she did, she's your only sister. Even if our roles are reversed, I know you wouldn't kill Sokka because we both know that the road to redemption is always open."

"A soulmate is someone who you carry with you forever."

"Zuko, be careful and please don't die."

A chuckle. "I've escaped from death a lot of times before. I think I can manage to stay alive even against Azula." Pause. "And plus, you've got my back, right?"

"...Right."

"Then you have nothing to worry about. I'm not going anywhere." A hand pushed back a stray hair behind her ear. They stared at each other, both silent. Zuko opened his mouth to speak but before he could say anything, Sokka appeared rounded around Appa. He moved away from her, swiftly as if nothing happened. Katara frowned but didn't comment and turned towards her brother.

"It's the person who knew you and accepted you."

They stopped to rest nearby a river. Katara went down to her knees, her eyes as wide as saucers, staring at her hands. She had almost killed the man who killed her mother in cold blood.

Katara dipped her hands in the river so that she could wash her hands, hoping that it could purify her stained hands. "I can't wash the blood out," she sobbed, rubbing her hands harder to wash away the nonexistent stain. Somewhere in the back of her mind she could feel Zuko walking towards her, his steps confident but carefully. "Why can't I wash it off? Why can't I wash it off?"

She felt a pair of strong and warm arms surrounding her petite body,pulling her away from the stream. Her hands clutched his arms in a tight grip as if he was an anchor, preventing her from drifting away from the real world. He offered soothing whispered, one which she didn't know he was capable of. She only cried harder. Trapped in guilt.

"I'm a monster. I'm a monster," she chanted over and over again

"Katara, it's okay," was what he said. "You didn't hurt him. He's still alive but he won't hurt anybody else." Pause. "If it makes you feel any better," the banished prince started slowly, choosing his words carefully. "I'm helping the Avatar to kill my father and my sister. If anyone deserves to be called a monster, it's me. I'm sorry I dragged you into this."

Katara sniffed, moving to look at him."You're not a monster, Zuko," she reached to touch his face but he flinched, an emotion flashed in his eyes. She dropped her hand.

"No, Katara," he spoke. "We all have monsters in ourselves. Our own inner demon but whether or not you are strong enough to fight it, it is a different story." He looked away from her. "You are strong enough to fight it but I'm not. I'm close to losing every day."

"Believe in you when no one else did or when no one would."

"You wound me, Katara. Of course, I believe in you. I trust you."

"No matter what happens you'll always love them and nothing can change that."

"I rise with the moon," she had told him once, arms spread out before her, bending water for a counterattack.

"I rise with the sun," he had said, a smirk tugged on his lips as he saw daylight at the corner of his eyes. His eyes shined, throwing a jet of flames towards her.

"Is this the part where tear your clothes off to bind my wounds?" she asked hazily.

His lips were pressed into a thin line, suppressing a smile. "If you wanted me to take my clothes off, you should have said so."

"I love you," she said to him once during a heated moment. He didn't reply but he kissed her passionately. He showed her that he love her in his own way.

"Zuko, I think it's best if we stop," she had said after his coronation once they were alone. "We both know that they won't accept me. We should just face reality."

He closed their distance and cupped her face in his hands, turning her gaze to him. "They can accept you," he reasoned. "We can make it happen. Believe me as I believe you."

She stepped away from him, schooling her expression into indifference. "What happened between us was just a dream. We wanted to escape from reality and we were desperate for love in this world full of hate."

His expression changed from hopeful to void in a split second. His eyes harden. She could almost hear his heart shattering. "Are you saying that what we had meant nothing to you?"

She looked at him in the eyes, steeling herself. "Yes." No.

His heart that he had entrusted to her had turned into dust, crushed by the person he had loved dearly.

"I see. Forgive me for thinking that the sun and moon could share the sky." His voice was distant as he spoke. He turned and left as if they hadn't spoken a word.

She couldn't move from her spot, glued to the floor. The door closed behind him and she could feel the walls surrounding her came crumbling down.

"Are you happy, Katara?" he had asked her once, gazing at the ocean, years later. The reception was buzzing with joy and laughter behind them.

"I'm happy if you are happy," she replied, not wanting to lie to him.

Author's End Notes: Just in case the ending is not clear, they didn't end up together in the end.